NARAYANGANJ. Oct. 9 : The 200-bed Narayanganj hospital functioning for the last five years provides limited treatment facilities to a large number of attending patients. Though the hospital has a huge stock of modern medical equipment the number of technicians are too few to operate them.
The hospital was set up at a cost of Taka 33.53 crore under the assistance from government of Japan. The vast hospital complex was formally opened on October 22, 1986 on the turn key basis.
.About 1.5 million people of Narayanganj district heaved a sigh of relief on its opening hoping that they would get specialized treatment. But their hopes have been shattered as a good number of highly sophisticated equipment could not be operated due to the absence of technicians.
On the other hand patients suffer badly due to shortage of medicines and alleged obstinate attitude of some physicians and absence of other medicare.
The hospital has eight departments which include medical, surgical, gynecology, paediatrics, ophthalmology, skin and venereal diseases, dentistry and psychiatry.
Bcsides.it has ten cabins, Internal medicare unit, physiotherapy, ECG department, centrally controlled X-Ray, pathology, operation theatre and centrally arranged oxygen distribution system. The Inten sive cardiac unit is ycl to be opened.
There are about 304 staff in
the hospital. Among 50 doctors there are 18 consultant physicians. It has a sanctioned posts of 62 nurses including a matron and a Junior a matron. The posts of two doctors including one Junior consultant and three nurses are lying vacant
The gyaehccology ward Is now facing acute shortage of medicines like gcnlacin, laxi, sedative and injection seduxen.
The anesthesia, radiography and pathology wards are
running without adequate number of doctors. Some doctors engaged in pathological testing laboratories force patients to get their pathological tests In particular firms In spite of its won pathological department which is rich In modern equipment. Another surprising fact relates to the behaviour of a section of the doctors. They use private firm
pads to give pathological reports. Some of these firms are reportedly owned by laboratory technicians of the hospital.
The condition of the blood bank is more deplorable. Despite government rate of a bag of blood at Taka 100 this Is sold at much higher price. The patients infected with tetanus. viral Jaundice etc are nol getting proper treatment as the Infectious diseases ward has been turned into cabins recently.
The doctors and other staff arc facing acute housing problem as there are 60 dormitories for the nurses while there arc only 12 for the doctors, two arc occupied by the superintendent and some arc occupied by doctors whose services are not considered to be emergency. Lack of cots In the nurses' dormitory force them to stay on floor. There is also
allegation that the patients are not provided with proper attention by the doctors. It is reported that some doctors remain absent from their duties regularly while others advise the patients to consult them in their private chamber. As a result, patients who are unable to consult in their chambers move from hospital to hospital seeking treatment.
There is also allegation of corruption and mismanagement, nepotism in matters of admission into the hospital and treatment. The food supplied to the patients is also of poor quality. But It was not possible to supply improved quality food with only Taka 18 per patient per day.
The psychiatric department and centrally controlled X-Ray system arc yet to be introduced, It is learnt that the hospital spends a considerable amount ol money for laundry despite having three automatic washing machines. Transport arc inadequate. One ambulance and one old car can hardly meet the requirement.
Stealing of medicines from the hospital stores is a regular phenomenon. Some local youths are also creating chaotic situation in and around
of sterilizer-cum nxelianic and chief technician could not be filled yet
A knowledgeable source stated that some new posts of doctors should be created for the smooth running of this specialised hospital.
It may be recalled here that within a span of five years six superintendents were posted which caused administrative problems.